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Scientists in the Field

Diving to a Deep-Sea Volcano

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Scientists have mapped less than 10 percent of the ridge of underwater mountains in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. It is here that 95 percent of the volcanic activity on earth occurs. And it is also where the scientist Rich Lutz has tracked the remarkable evolution of bizarre creatures that spawn in hydrothermal vent fluids that are poisonous to most other forms of life. How can life exist in this world of utter darkness?

For Rich Lutz, a pioneer in marine biology, each dive to the frontier of the deep holds the possibility of discovering more clues that might help us learn how life on earth began after our planet was formed billions of years ago.

64 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2006

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About the author

Kenneth Mallory

18 books2 followers

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5 stars
9 (25%)
4 stars
13 (36%)
3 stars
10 (27%)
2 stars
3 (8%)
1 star
1 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
40 reviews
November 27, 2017
Summary: This book informs the reader about deep sea life and the volcanos that inhabit that area. It follows a group of people going into the deep sea and showing what they find.
Evaluation: This text does a great job in including the text set features of a non-fiction book. The illustrations help the reader see what the author is explaining with the text.
Teaching Idea: I would use this book in an interactive read-aloud. While doing this IRA I would make sure to point out all the text features to the students.
Profile Image for Sandra Lemus.
40 reviews2 followers
November 28, 2017
Summary: This book is about the animals that live deep down the ocean. Readers will learn about these animals and also learn how scientists discovered the animals and the types of technology that were used.

Evaluation: This book has great photography. Readers can easily connect the texts to the photography.

Teaching Idea: This book is a great example of a non-fiction book. I would read this book to a second grade class and compare it to fiction books.
Profile Image for Meredith.
182 reviews
July 29, 2020
It didn't really appeal to my 1st grader like the manatee book in this series did. Almost all of the creature photographs were of worms & crabs, and the vehicles they drive were pretty utilitarian-looking. The content wasn't very awe-inspiring either. As an adult I found it interesting, but not enough to hold me through to the end of an entire chapter.
30 reviews
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October 15, 2018
Summary-This scientist in the field book follows an actual scientist named Rich. The book follows him as he explores the deep ocean in a submarine looking for volcanos.

Evaluation- I enjoyed this book and it had great pictures to use for teaching. The visuals were vivid and had great details. I I think it was written well and at an elementary level.

Teaching ideas- You could use this book during science. I would use this book when teaching volcanos and constructive forces to talk about how the tectonic plates shifted under the surface of the water to make these volcanoes.
40 reviews
December 6, 2019
Summary:
This book is about an actual scientist named Rich. The book follows him as he explores in a submarine the deep ocean, looking for volcanos. You also learn about the animals that live deep down the ocean

Evaluation:
This book did a great job with the illustrations and pictures which will help students be able to see things visually. I think it's a great book for students to learn information about deep-sea volcanos.

Teaching Idea:
This would be a great book to use in science or for ELA integrated with science. The students could learn about the sea volcanos but also be able to write about what they learned. They could write what they would think they would see if they were a scientist and dove into the deep sea.
Profile Image for Chris Connolly.
41 reviews
November 13, 2013
Category (Literature Circle Book)
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Description

1. Have you ever wondered what the ocean looks like beneath the surface? If so, this book is for you! Named Alvin, a mini-submarine that can hold about three passesngers, was built during the 1970's to help explore the ocean's creatures and landscapes. Everything from weird looking fish to smoky lava filled tubes fill the ocean as Alvin and its crew members dive deeper to explore.


2. Organization

Mallory does a wonderful job with his book’s organization. Since the book is chapter based, it is easy for the reader to fully comprehend the material before moving to the next chapter.


3. Style

The language that Mallory uses is very informative but easy to read and understand as unfamiliar terms are fortified by illustrations that show the reader exactly what is being discussed. I found that the book took only about 45-minutes to read, and that time included flipping back and forth to revisit the amazing information.


4. Design/Illustrations

Every aspect of this discovery expedition is recorded by camera. The illustrations show the details of the underwater vehicle, Alvin, and its crew members looking at the craft. Also, the illustrations are shown for the point of view of Alvin’s underwater camera.


5. Accuracy

Since the expedition is documented and written extensively, the information that is presented is accurate and told from the point of view of the crew and their cameramen. It is accurate to say that these men are professional scientists who are knowledgeable persons with the education and skills necessary to provide the details for this book.
Profile Image for Krista the Krazy Kataloguer.
3,873 reviews325 followers
February 13, 2017
I saw the IMAX film "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea" on the National Geographic Channel before reading this book, which may be why it didn't draw me in as much as I thought it would. Scientists watched a colony of animal life develop over an 8-year period around a deep sea vent in the Sea of Cortez. Starting with bacteria and ending with a colony teeming with mollusks and tube worms, the experiment taught scientists much about how living around heat sources like undersea volcanic vents can speed up the growth process of these creatures. I find it fascinating to think that we've only mapped a small percentage of the seafloor. Who knows what other weird and wonderful things await discovery below?

Recommended for young science enthusiasts. It's part of the "Scientists in the Field" series, which I highly recommend.

Profile Image for Becky B.
9,103 reviews175 followers
January 26, 2015
A chronological trip with Alvin to the deep sea rifts, and look at the progression of secondary growth in that environment.

This book gives a great introduction to chemosynthesis and a survey of how the species living in a community change over time after a catastrophic event. A great resource for science classrooms.
34 reviews
December 10, 2013
This book was really cool because it shows something that you dont see everyday, and under the water volcano. This is the type of book that kids will just love because its such a cool topic with awesome pictures. It can give them a taste for adventure.
Profile Image for Jessica Garrigues.
25 reviews
May 30, 2013
Amazing photographs of the deep-sea. Species and habitats found that were never known before. This would be a great addition to an ocean unit.
Profile Image for Rani.
Author 39 books23 followers
March 27, 2016
A biodiversity hot spot in the deep-sea volcano helps scientists to better understand the life in deeper parts of the ocean.
Profile Image for Tori Negley.
30 reviews
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September 30, 2017
Summary: Rich Lutz made many discoveries of within the ocean, especially the ocean floor. With the help of the machinery named Nine North, he was able to discover how hydrothermal vent communities live and how they are reborn exploding with life from nothing in such a short amount of time.

Evaluation: This book is very easy to read, even though it is a scientist in the field book, because it is in narrative form. It follows the life of scientists Rich Lutz, and explains his findings throughout his science career. The underwater pictures are also rich in detail and color and are very interesting to look at as well.

Teaching Point: This book explores the ocean through the lens on the deep ocean floor. I think this would be a great book to use for students who are investigating a topic for a book report, or informational writing. This would be an easy read for students and contains many facts about animals and plant life in the ocean floor.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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